The Queen of Skin Abigail James Reveals All Her Top Secrets

Venus has landed: Abigail using the Venus skincare machineCourtesy of Abigail James

Abigail James got her start sweeping hair from salon floors. Now one of London's top facialists, James has worked for Lady Bamford, Liz Earle and is taking up residency at Jeremy King and Chris Corbin's opulent Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair this October. Earlier this year she published Love Your Skin: The Ultimate Guide to a Glowing Complexion (Kyle Books), a tome of decades worth of research, studying and knowledge accrued from her everyday. When you meet James - she likely bounds towards you in a sensationally short and chic playsuit - a look that only a slim few, herself undeniably included, can pull off - and immediately puts you at ease. She's the type of person you suddenly find yourself confiding in - from dating woes to that bag of crisps you scarfed down earlier that afternoon. And James herself hasn't always had it easy. A single mother of three, for a significant period of her children's young lives they lived on benefits, moved homes eight times and struggled with the day-to-day. Through years of hard work, dedication and a surfeit of charm, James has earned her place as one of the most sought-after skincare experts in London. Your correspondent, a longtime friend and support of James, recently caught up with her to learn more.

You’ve just published your first book, why now?

I’d had the idea for the book years ago, but it took me maybe about four years to get an agent to listen to the idea. So, there were lots of “nos” even to get an agent and then even from getting an agent, it took probably about a year to get a book deal to then get a publisher to listen.

Cover Girl: A view of Abigail James's first bookCourtesy of Abigail James

And was there a moment that the idea or concept changed? Or was it just finding the right agent?

It was probably that I was way ahead of my time with the idea.

What do you mean by that?

So, the concept of getting a book out there was that it isn’t just about makeup or food… but actually that looking after your skin is about food, lifestyle, stress. I suppose my knowledge as a skin expert and beauty therapist putting that down in a book for me was a bit of a no-brainer because I’ve got clients coming to me saying, “Oh my goodness, you should write this down in a book”. And I knew the connection between what we’re eating and lifestyle and its impact on the skin, as well as trying to simplify some of the ingredients that I almost took for granted that people would know that’s what I’m talking about. So, you need anti-oxidants and people go “yes, yes, yes” because they’ve heard of it, but they actually don’t know what it is or peptides. So, actually you need to write it down in a book so people go “oh right, so that’s what it does”.

Did you always have a sense of style and creativity?

Yes, well I remember I used to perm my friend’s hair as a teenager and in my bedroom I used to actually do paint effects. My dad would allow me to do what I wanted, so I was always the more creative one. I couldn’t spell and was mildly dyslexic. Actually, for one of my GCSE pieces I knitted a landscape for a cardigan. I couldn’t knit now if you gave me two knitting needles.

Double dip: The plunge pool and sauna at the Beaumont HotelCourtesy of the Beaumont Hotel

But how did you get started in the beauty industry?

I got married very young at 22 and had my daughter at 23. I had horrendous post-natal depression and ended up having time out from work and everything. I had a friend who used to come round and paint my nails and do beauty treatments on me, and I thought, I like what she does. So, I looked into studying beauty therapy, and I went to night school, two nights a week for two years and learnt beauty therapy. I got a job in the local spa and salon - literally sweeping the floor. They did waxing, self-tanning, massages and if a therapist had been off or she was ill, they’d say, “Abigail can you cover her”, and I’d be like “I’ve not passed my module in body massage”, and they were like, “no, you’ll be fine!” So, it started literally from the floor up. I went back to college full time to get my MBQ3. And I had two young kiddies at that point.

And was that mostly skincare or everything?

At that point it was everything. I even used to do bridal makeup and had a proper spray-tan tent…

And were you still married?

No, at that point I was a single mum… ended up as a single mum, but I was just really geeky about skincare about everything I’d learnt. I’d almost feel like I’d barely scratched the surface so then I’d learn something else, or I’d learn a different therapy or I’d go on a different training course while building up mobile clients around Worcestershire and the Cotswolds, just to kind of pay the bills.

So, how did you navigate that emotionally? It’s a lot of responsibility.

It is, probably a lot of private tears shed to be honest.

It’s a huge cliché but by getting into yoga. I started practising that probably about five or six years ago. It’s genuinely made such a huge difference .I did it because I almost felt I needed to, but then I ended up doing yoga teacher training because it really resonated with me. I remember the point of being able to come off benefits because to me that was one of my goals. I sat the kids down, and I took them out for dinner because I couldn’t even take them to the cinema for years, so I sat them down and was like “kids, I’ve got something to tell you guys. So, we can now come off benefits”. And they were just like “yeah, to be honest we didn’t think you’d do it mum”. But with the book and everything else, especially my daughter, they are like my biggest cheerleaders.

They’re really proud?

Yes, and they have been on this journey with me. We’ve moved house…that’s another thing you kind of have to keep private from your clients whatever’s going on in your private life, but since being a single parent I think we’ve moved something like eight times and to do that on your own with children… but then still turn up on Monday. You learn to cope and find an inner strength you never knew you had but the fact is, no-one else is going to do it. So, you just do, you just get on with it really.

Back to skincare, talk to me about cutting through all of the nonsense claims about what we should be doing to improve our skin.

Okay, so I think there’s a huge element of balance. So, for example with juices, I think it’s a way of getting loads of vitamins and minerals in one easy thing. Do you know what? Be sensible; don’t whack it full of fruit. We know that we need more vegetables than fruit. so it’s almost about using your common sense with those sorts of things. Yes, Kale is amazing but if you’re just going to eat loads of just one thing it’s out of balance. So, yes, have avocado but don’t eat two a day. Don’t stick kale in your salad and your smoothie; balance it out.

With regards to skin, I see it a bit like your food; just doing one aspect, it’s not going to tick all the boxes for you. You know, if you’re just eating your avocados you’re not getting the full nutrition and it’s the same with treatments and your skincare. I know people like to keep it simple with their skincare but new ingredients and the way brands are formulating… Obviously, it is business, however, some of the new ingredients, and the formulations are having a real impact on cell turnover or brightening the skin. I find that when you incorporate that within your routine you will find improvements in the skin. I’d love to think that we can all just get away with using coconut oil. You could do, however if you want certain results there’s not going to be the one magic product for you.

What is your night-time routine?

Cleanse, possibly double cleanse, and I kind of alternate so one night I will literally put retinol serum on, the next night it will be an oil or another serum. That’s it, that’s night-time. Really simple. If I’m going to do masks and exfoliants, you know what I sneak that in if I’ve got a day working from home,

And where does the more medical side of your knowledge start and end?

So, I think the line between what was beauty therapist and dermatologist has massively blurred over the years. I suppose, as a therapist in general you have to learn where your skills begin and end, and also where you should or could learn new skills to complement what you do. That could go on a holistic level, as well as a technical level, for example where I sit, I wanted to become an acupuncturist and an osteopath, but you have to go “do you know what that’s not my journey”. You learn to refer, but that’s also the same on the technical side of things, but whereas even 10 years ago peels weren’t even in the beauty sphere because the way they were formulated, your face would fall off.

In our world today where everything is Instagram filtered and looks perfect how do you manage expectations?

I find sometimes when I get a new client come in and say, “what do we want to achieve? What’s your wish list or what are you little niggles?” and sometimes they’ll say, “I want skin like yours”. I have to remind them this is my job. I have like numerous gizmos, gadgets and products for me to play with almost on a daily basis if I wanted to, and I have makeup on. So, you’re looking at something that’s probably not as real or achievable as you might be thinking, but also I’ve been doing this to my skin for years, whereas you might be coming to me for your first facial. This is great because we can go on a journey together but we all have to be a bit realistic about what we’re aspiring to.

How do you do it? Your body is amazing, you have three kids, you’re so glamourous. It’s not easy.

I’m very relaxed about looks, as a teenager I had huge hang-ups. I had an eating disorder; I was really lacking that confidence, but I think as you get older you learn to relax into things. I think also you get into a groove of what works for you. I spent years pounding it at the gym and running, you know that just doesn’t do it for me now; it bores me. I might do the gym once a week but I’m maxed out. It’s fitting it in with you and with the kids as well. My youngest is 11, so I’ve got 11, 15 and 18. Yes, it’s still full on but it’s not like having a toddler who you can’t take your eyes off. Now, I kind of get the text like “Mum, I’m at Brixton Academy”. It’s different parenting. It’s really allowing yourself that switch-off time as well.

A longtime journalist, I am the former Associate Editor, Print and Digital at Vanity Fair in London and the current London Correspondent for vanityfair.com. I have also also worked freelance for a variety of international publications, including House & Garden, Departure...